Fontaine Trailer Company Plans Three New Facilities In Jasper, Alabama

Area Development News Desk

11/27/2012

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Fontaine Trailer Company, a manufacturer of platform trailers, is opening three new facilities in Jasper, Alabama, which at full capacity will employ more than 130 in the region.

“We are very excited about this opportunity to locate our new facilities in Jasper. The city, as well as Walker County, made it very clear that they wanted Fontaine to be a part of this vibrant community,” said Glenn Chambers, company president.

In a total investment estimated at more than $5 million, Fontaine will purchase a 72,000 square-foot building to manufacturing trailer mainbeams, the "backbone" or main support structure in a platform trailer. These mainbeams will then be shipped to Fontaine trailer factories in Haleyville, Springville and Jasper, Alabama. In addition, Fontaine’s Fleet Business Unit purchased a 100,000 square-foot facility in Jasper that was formerly the home of Evenflo, a car seat manufacturer. In addition, another new Fontaine facility will be built in Jasper to house the Parts Group.

Fontaine Trailer Company is organized into distinct, autonomous business units: a Dealer Business Unit, Fleet Business Unit, Military Products Group and The Parts Group. “This new organizational structure dramatically improves our focus in order to serve our core end-user customers even better,” said Chambers.

The new locations are expected to be operational by the beginning of the second quarter of 2006. “With our new organizational focus and our new facilities in Jasper, Fontaine Trailer Company is well positioned to remain the industry leader in North America long into the future,” said Chambers.

Gov. Robert Bentley and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs awarded a Community Development Block Grant to help the firm with its expansion plan. In addition, Jasper and the Jasper Water Works and Sewer Board will allocate grant money to upgrade water services in Tom Bevill Industrial Park, where the company is located.